We have two flip homes and are possibly looking for investors, or to get a loan.

Working with Real Estate ProfessionalsLocal Real Estate Agent: Choose an agent experienced in student housing.Property Management Services: Consider hiring a property manager if you’re not local.Inspection and Appraisal: Conduct thorough due diligence to avoid costly repairs.6.

All in all, I'd like to worm my way into the REI space and preemptively thank everyone who has taken the time to read my long introduction and offers their advice.Thank you,JohnTo keyword farm: rehabbing, fix and flip, house flipping, BRRRR, multi-family, apartment, long-term rentals Holla

But I would remain open to long-term rental as an option as this seems like a more stable option in terms of income, again this may be my inexperience talking.However, I have always  been somewhat risk averse and investing in real estate is always a big venture, in my opinion/experience, in terms of capital.

Since I am a Real Estate Broker I was able to negotiate the contract and purchase it less than asking price.

I am happy to discuss why I actually believe residential real estate is the hardest real estate asset class to manage, but will save you that unless you actually care.  

"Something in the door" doesn't sound real in my opinion.

I love that you have specific goals for 2025 - I believe if we think it, write it, say it, and share it our goals are 10x more likely to come to fruition.Are you able to do option 2 and just house hack a 2-4 unit building and use a renovation loan which allows you to put down 3.5-5%I highly suggest getting to some local chicago meetup groups (we have an in person one on the 17th)...here is BPs list: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521-real-estate-events-...I also have a full list of the chicago meetups that I can share with you too if that'd be helpful.

Real estate tends to go up and you don't want to be undercutting yourself over time. 

@Chantelle LewisRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.